After hours of fierce debate that spanned the course of two days, the Missouri House on Wednesday signed off on a prohibition on transgender students participating on the sports teams that match their gender identity.
The provision, by Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, to House Bill 1141 was , with one member voting present.
Yet for the second time in two days, the underlying bill was tabled before it could be granted initial approval by the House. This time, debate stalled over that would have barred school districts from teaching curriculum on critical race theory or the , that detailed the United States鈥� legacy of slavery.
Lawmakers in support of the measure insisted the move was not intended to discriminate against transgender youth, while those in opposition became emotional as they shared the experiences of their own transgender family members and warned the provision would cost lives.
Rep. Ian Mackey, D-St. Louis, that found 40 percent of transgender people surveyed had attempted suicide.
鈥淐an we agree that people in our state deserve dignity and respect, especially under the color of law, and on a topic that is so unfamiliar to us,鈥� Mackey said, noting there are no transgender lawmakers in the House.
Basye has sponsored a version of the language . was passed out of the rules committee earlier this month, but has yet to be heard on the House floor.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a homophobe. I鈥檓 not a transphobe,鈥� said Basye, who shared that his younger brother is gay.
Basye argued it comes down to protecting the integrity of women鈥檚 sports and stressed that transgender students could still play in co-ed sports leagues.
鈥淚 care about everybody. I love everybody,鈥� Basye said. 鈥淭his is not about ill feelings. This is about doing the right thing and protecting girls.鈥�
House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said she had been assured the amendment would not resurface Wednesday afternoon who had been accused by his adult children of sexual and physical abuse.
With less than a month left in the session and after conversations with the Senate, 鈥渨e all know in this body this bill is not going to become law,鈥� Quade said. Instead, she said, the conversation was spanning the course of two days for the sake of political futures and upcoming elections.
鈥淚 ask that you think about the children who are listening, the same children that we voted to protect this morning who are deeply at risk,鈥� Quade said.
Transgender youth and their family who testified against the bill last month said it was a solution in search of a problem 鈥� noting that the Missouri State High School Activities Association for transgender youths鈥� participation.
The association requires an approved application and transgender girls must go through one year of 鈥渄ocumented鈥� hormone therapy before they may participate on girls鈥� teams.
And once granted, transgender girls must document that 鈥渢he appropriate hormone levels are being maintained,鈥� according to the policy.
Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, said he disagrees with Basye鈥檚 amendment and asked if Basye planned to still offer the language as a constitutional amendment, which would put the question on the statewide ballot for voters to decide.
鈥淚 would like to do both,鈥� Basye said.
Dogan warned of the potential economic impacts, citing the that it may move to pull championship tournaments from states that pass such bans.
A wave of anti-trans legislation has been filed in statehouses nationwide this year, with similar bills restricting transgender youths鈥� participation recently signed into law in , and .
Dogan urged lawmakers to put themselves in others鈥� shoes, noting that for many of the lawmakers 鈥� who are straight, white males 鈥� they are in the majority.
鈥淚 wonder how many of you have ever walked into a room and been the super minority among people who look like you? Certainly doesn鈥檛 happen in this chamber,鈥� Dogan said. 鈥淗ave you ever been a super minority in terms of the color of your skin, particularly in a room of powerful people? Have you ever been a super minority in terms of who you love? Have you been the only straight person in a room full of gay people? Have you ever been the only super minority in terms of how you express your gender?鈥�
At times amid the debate some Republican lawmakers alluded that allowing transgender youth to participate on teams that match their gender identity would lead to increased sexual assault or indecent exposure in locker rooms.
鈥淎s a female, a God-given (gender) that was assigned to me at birth鈥� I represent all the females in Missouri that want to compete and not be forced to be subjected to unpleasant views of male genitalia or anything like that,鈥� said Rep. Suzie Pollock, R-Lebanon, who has sponsored a bill that would prohibit medical care for transgender youth for the purpose of gender confirmation. 鈥淲omen鈥檚 rights are something that we have fought for for years and I think this is a regression on those women鈥檚 rights.鈥�
Lawmakers with transgender family members of their own urged their colleagues to consider how the legislation would affect them personally.
鈥淚 will look at you. I鈥檒l remember. This is about human rights. It鈥檚 about fair treatment. It鈥檚 simply being good policymakers. That鈥檚 all we鈥檙e asking here,鈥� said Rep. Doug Clemens, D-St. Ann, whose brother鈥檚 child is transgender. 鈥淚 get where you鈥檙e coming from. I just ask you to have an open mind and learn before jumping to writing something in the law books or changing our constitution for God鈥檚 sake.鈥�
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